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Roadtripping Sights and Bites: A Summer Coastal RV Trip Through SC, GA, FL
Pack up the RV and get ready for an East Coast glamping trip this summer!
CHARLESTON, SC
Our starting point begins in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Check yourself into the Mt Pleasant/Charleston KOA Holiday RV Park, just minutes from the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, where you can cross into “Chucktown” (locals’ affectionate name) and meander the cobblestone streets of historic Charleston, enjoy some of the South’s best restaurants, shop top designers and boutiques along King Street, and visit one of the three beaches—Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, and Folly Beach. The “Holy City” (debatable nickname, often attributed to the 1700s religious tolerance of the city and the hundreds of church steeples downtown) has a plethora of amazing restaurants prepared by chefs who are making waves in the culinary world. If you’re into afternoon tea, check out the Thoroughbred Club at the Charleston Place Hotel. My favorite places to grab a cocktail are Bar 167, Prohibition, and The Gin Joint. For oysters try The Darling Oyster Bar and Delaney Oyster House. Brunch is spectacular at Miller’s All Day, and for a quick lunch, be sure to check out the artsy Gaulart and Maliclet, a.k.a. Fast and French, or High Cotton. Dinner choices abound, making it hard to choose. A few I recommend are Lowland, Chubby Fish, Marbled and Fin, SNOB, Husk, and The Ordinary. If you’re into literature, be sure to drop into Poe’s Tavern on Sullivan’s Island. You can read about Edgar Allen Poe’s time in Charleston here: https://www.literarytraveler.com/articles/poe-on-sullivans-island/
Mt Pleasant / Charleston
Stay: Mt Pleasant/Charleston KOA Holiday RV Park
https://koa.com/campgrounds/mount-pleasant-charleston
Sights: The Citadel, Battery Park, Waterfront Park, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Boone Hall Plantation, Drayton Hall, Aiken-Rhett House, Nathanial Russell House, Fort Sumter National Monument, Old City Jail, Charleston City Market, Rainbow Row, Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island, Angel Oak Tree on Johns Island.
Bites: High Cotton, Lowland, Bar 167, The Ordinary, Slightly North of Broad (SNOB), Fig, Chubby Fish, Obstinate Daughter, Darling Oyster Bar, Prohibition, Delaney Oyster House, Husk, Poogan’s Porch, Marbled and Fin, The Restaurant at Zero George, Miller’s All Day, The Gin Joint, Wild Common.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC
After you’ve absorbed the rich tapestry of one of the oldest European settlements in the country, head down to Hilton Head Island for a slower-paced reprieve, where you can bank ample sunshine while strolling the wide, sandy beaches. Hilton Head Island has a rich history as the “heart” of the Gullah-Geechee Corridor. The West African slaves worked the rice plantations in the early 1700s. They have fought to retain their heritage, their culture, and their land. After the Civil War, the area’s “Port Royal Experiment” was established as the first Union initiative to pay the freed slaves for their labor, establish schools, and begin the process of land ownership opportunities. The entire Gullah-Geechee Heritage Corridor runs from Wilmington, NC, to Jacksonville, FL. Visit the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island or the Daufuskie Island History Museum to learn more.
Hilton Head Island is often referred to as the “Hamptons of the South,” even though scenic Highway 30A in FL near Rosemary Beach has tried to claim the reference. At only twelve miles long and five miles wide, it packs nearly thirty championship golf courses, including the renowned Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines, home to the RBC Heritage PGA Tournament since 1969—it is held each spring, the week after The Masters in Augusta, GA. In addition to world-famous golf venues, there are numerous top-tier tennis resorts on island, including the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy, co-founded by former Wimbledon champ, Stan Smith. If biking is something you enjoy, there are over sixty miles of paved, dedicated biking and walking trails throughout the island, where you can easily loop around on two wheels or two feet. The island is relaxed, less snooty than the actual Hamptons, and, as a whole, an environmentally preserved area. Even though nearly three million visitors arrive each summer, it doesn’t feel that way. With over 250 restaurants on the island and hundreds more in neighboring Bluffton, you’ll easily find numerous places to dine.
The most convenient RV resort is on-island, just over one mile from Coligny Beach. The Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort is Class-A, Class-C, and Super-C only. If you have an RV outside of these parameters, you can stay at Hilton Head National in nearby Bluffton. The fifty-acre HHI Motorcoach Resort is commonly known as “Paradise.” Its ample tree cover gives the resort an idyllic, shady setting reminiscent of a tropical oasis. They have 401 sites, each one unique. While you’re visiting HHI, check out one of the seven public beaches. Coligny is the most popular option, while Fish Haul is more secluded and scenic. As you walk along the mat that opens to Coligny Beach, on either side a short stroll offers two vibrant beach bars—Pool Bar Jim’s and The Tiki Hut. Both locations offer up frozen cocktails sure to enhance your island vibes. The most amazing greasy spoon/diner-style option has to be Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe. If you’re craving pizza, it doesn’t get much better than Fat Baby’s Pizza and Subs, and for upscale Italian fare, Michael Anthony’s is my favorite. If serene water views are calling your name, check out Skullcreek Boathouse, Hudson’s On The Dock, Old Oyster Factory, or Ela’s on the Water. Catch an evening sunset aboard the Salty Dog Cruise at South Beach in Sea Pines. I’m not sure who had the name first, South Beach, Miami, or South Beach, HHI. For an early evening cocktail, gazing at massive yachts, mosey over to The Quarterdeck, also in Sea Pines, and grab a frosé at the outside bar; they’re delicious. Also, be sure to check out the Chef’s Table experience at The Sage Room. I totally adore this place; say hello to Manager Marquis and Chef Wesley.
Hilton Head Island/Bluffton
Stay: Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort (On Island)
Hilton Head National RV Resort (off Island, Bluffton)
Sights: Gullah Heritage Trail, Harbour Town Lighthouse, Hilton Head Distillery Tour, Salty Dog Cruise, Daufuskie Island and the Bloody Point Lighthouse (ferry to the island), Gullah Museum, Coastal Discovery Museum, Visit Historic Bluffton/Calhoun Street.
Bites: Hudson’s On The Dock, Micheal Anthony’s Cucina Italiana, The Sage Room, Old Oyster Factory, Quarterdeck @SeaPines, Bad Biscuit, Ela’s on The Water, Skullcreek Dockside, Kind of Blue, Hilton Head Social Bakery, Fat Bay’s Pizza.
BRUNSWICK, GA
After you’re properly rested, pack up your things, put the slides in, and head down to Georgia, where you’ll pull into the Southern Retreat RV Park in Brunswick. At only a short thirty minutes to either St. Simons Island or Jekyll Island, you’ll be in a perfect location to take in the area’s best beaches and gorgeous sunsets. Take in the views from the St. Simons Lighthouse Museum or walk among the ruins of the eighteenth-century Fort Frederica National Monument. Pier Village on St. Simons is the area’s hub for shopping and dining. On Jekyll Island ,visit the Horton House, the National Historic Landmark District, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. If you’d like to dine on Jekyll Island, stop by Zachery’s Riverhouse and The Beach House Restaurant. Or grab a cocktail at Alexander Bar & Boar’s Head Lounge. The bar is a replica of the bar used in the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” which was filmed at the Jekyll Island Club Resort in 2000. The resort also offers several dining options. The Grand Dining Room is beautiful and timeless. Local favorites on St. Simons are Brogen’s, Gnat’s Landing, and The Porch for laid-back vibes, or have breakfast at Echo, inside the King and Prince Resort.
Brunswick/St Simons Island/Jekyll Island
Stay: Southern Retreat RV Park
Sights: Newcastle Street in historic Brunswick, 900-year old Lover’s Oak Tree, Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation, Mary Ross Waterfront Park, Historic Ritz Theater, St Simons Lighthouse Museum, Fort Frederica National Monument, Pier Village on St Simons, Horton House, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, National Historic Landmark District on Jekyll Island.
Bites: The Grand Dining Room at Jekyll Island Club Resort, Brogen’s, Gnat’s Landing, The Porch, Echo, Island Jerk Shack, Reid’s Apothecary.
SARASOTA, FL
Let’s end our road trip in the greater Sarasota, FL area. The Surf RV Resort in nearby Palmetto is a wonderful place to park your rig for a lingering visit. You’ll want to experience the resort and the Sarasota area fully. For beaches, cross over the John Ringling Causeway from Downtown Sarasota out to St. Armands Circle for restaurants and shopping before stopping at Lido Key Beach. Continue north towards Longboard Key for relaxing views heading up to Coquina and Bradenton Beaches, and further north you’ll find Anna Maria Island, one of my favorite spots. There are plenty of public beach access points from Lido Key up to Anna Marie. And you’ll find the highly popular Siesta Key and Siesta Key Village in south Sarasota.
Downtown Sarasota is always bustling with excitement. Enjoy the numerous sights and art districts sprinkled throughout. The Rosemary District is the central creative hub, featuring local artists and tons of creative studios. There’s the Sarasota Art Museum and its exhibits that rotate and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art with its beautiful bayfront gardens. The Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy is chock-full of amazing pieces. The Venice and Englewood districts also boast working artists and galleries. If you love gardens, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are a must. You can even feed the flamingos at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. The Sarasota Farmers Market has been going strong since 1979, and you can find more than produce and flowers with its unique catalog of vendors. There’s the Sarasota Opera and the Asolo Repertory Theatre as well. You will certainly find yourself wanting to see everything. Book your stay for a couple of weeks to really take in the best of Sarasota. They have some of the best grocers to accommodate your longer stay. The top two markets to visit are Detwiler’s Farm Market and Morton’s Gourmet Market. Detwiler’s is something to see for sure! The amount and variety of fresh produce is almost overwhelming and the seafood and meat counters are an event—grab your number and pay attention because they only give you ten seconds to respond before they call the next number. And you might want to drive north to St. Petersburg for a visit to Mazzaro’s Italian Market; it’s superb! There are loads and loads of restaurants in the area serving up most any cuisine you can imagine. Definitely get a craft cocktail at The Doctor’s Office on Anna Marie Island. For St. Armand’s Circle, check out Crab and Fin, Venezia Italian, and Columbia Restaurant. Miguel’s is a must when on Siesta Key.
Sarasota
Stay: The Surf RV Resort
Sights: Art Districts throughout the area, The John and Mable Ringling Museum, The Sarasota Art Museum, The Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, The Sarasota Farmers Market, The Asolo Repertory Theatre.
Bites: Crab & Fin, Owen’s Fish Camp, Peru 941, Duval’s Fresh Local Seafood, Selva, Rosemary & Thyme, The Mable, The Ugly Grouper, The Doctor’s Office, Venezia Italian, Columbia Restaurant.
I hope you enjoy this coastal summer trip itinerary! I’d recommend two to three days in each of the first three stops followed by a week in Sarasota.
